Audible Women is an online directory for women who make some kind of art that can be listened to. It is open to women who make sound, sound art, noise and music (acoustic or electronic) with a bit of an experimental and exploratory bent—interpret that as you will.

Why?

There are women out there making things that can be heard but it seems that sometimes they are a too hard to find. This is evidenced by the gender imbalance we still see in festivals and gigs of all genres.

While a 50/50 ratio is probably still not on the cards, if women were more in the forefront of producers’, curators’ and bookers’ minds there might be a bit more of a balance struck.

It’s not a separatists gesture—an us against them thing—nor is it a ghettoisation. It’s simply a big list of female artists that can be readily consulted when a booker thinks “well there are no women out there doing this kind of thing.”

There are and here we are.

Who?

Audible Women has been started by Gail Priest. I am a sound artist, writer and curator.
As an artist I want to be found and asked to play gigs. (Like many women, I tend not to ask for gigs but wait to be asked.)

As a producer of small experimental gigs I want to be able to find more women to play. I admit it—I sometimes end up with all male line-ups because I can’t find the right female artist.

I don’t want to program women just because they are women, I want to program them because they make up half the world, they make interesting music and more of it should be heard.

How?

Audible Women is open to submissions from any woman who makes art that is audible and operates. You can submit your info here.